Initially when third baseman Manny Machado had knee surgery in October the Orioles indicated that they didn’t expect him back in time for Opening Day, but those plans have apparently changed a bit.

According to manager Buck Showalter that initial timetable was merely the team wanting to “put a real safe date on it” and now that Machado has progressed well in the early stages of his rehab “he’s got a real chance to make the start of the season.”

Showalter also told Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com that Machado would need to be healthy enough to play in spring training games by March 15 in order for the Orioles to consider activating him for Opening Day, so that’ll be the new timetable to track.

Don’t rush back. Manny is too young, and too valuable to get rushed into Opening Day only to suffer a setback that could keep him out even longer. The baseball season is a very long one, and I’d rather be without Manny for a month at the start than to be without him for three months at the end.